Meet Callie Lane--2008 Elizabeth Breathwaite Student Leadership Award winner.

Meet Callie Lane--2008 Elizabeth Breathwaite Student Leadership Award winner. At the 2008 ACEI ACEI Angiotensin Converting Enzyme InhibitorACEI Association for Childhood Education InternationalACEI Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, I had theopportunity to meet Callie Lane, one of ACEI's ElizabethBreathwaite Student Leadership Award recipients. Callie, a full-timestudent Full-Time StudentA status that is important for determining dependency exemptions. An individual enrolled in a post-secondary institution may be eligible for certain tax breaks.Notes:The full-time status is based on what the individual's school considers full time. at the University of Central Florida “UCF” redirects here. For other uses, see UCF (disambiguation).UCF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida. UCF was founded in 1963 as Florida Technological University with the goal of providing highly trained personnel to support the Kennedy , Orlando, majoring inelementary education elementary educationor primary educationTraditionally, the first stage of formal education, beginning at age 5–7 and ending at age 11–13. , will graduate in May 2009. She works hard tomaintain a 4.0 grade point average, instructs a hearing-impaired child25 hours a week, volunteers, and serves as President of the ACEI-UCFBranch. Callie joined ACEI in June 2006, and immediately stepped into aleadership role as ACEI-UCF Vice-President. In that capacity, shearranged professional development workshops and organized fundraisers.As President, Callie encourages others to join ACEI and continues toraise funds for projects to benefit children. This year, the ACEIUCFBranch raised $1,500 to pay for electricity in a children's schoolin Kenya. Callie and her fellow Branch members feel a great sense ofaccomplishment in their successful endeavors. Since the 2nd grade, Callie has wanted to be a teacher. Sheattended a school that emphasized kinesthetic kin��es��the��sia?n.The sense that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints.[Greek k and discovery learning,which has inspired her to teach in the same manner. After graduation,Callie plans to obtain a teaching position in an international schooloverseas, work for two years to expand her knowledge, and return with abroadened perspective. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During high school, Callie traveled to Romania to volunteer withchildren in orphanages and camps. In March 2007, she traveled to QwaQwa, a small village in South Africa, to provide HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome humanitarianaid. She saw firsthand the devastating dev��as��tate?tr.v. dev��as��tat��ed, dev��as��tat��ing, dev��as��tates1. To lay waste; destroy.2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. effects of the disease. Thisexperience increased her desire to live and teach overseas, and to helppeople in need. Callie's college adviser and mentor, Sherron KillingsworthRoberts, has been a stabilizing force throughout Callie's collegeyears, and provides advice and support. Callie continues to be inspiredby her mentor's knowledge, passion for teaching, and ability toreach out to every child. Callie tells us that she is thankful for receiving the ElizabethBreathwaite Student Leadership Award, and appreciates the manyadvantages of ACEI membership. She values the excellent resources,continuous support, and numerous networking opportunities that she hasgained through her involvement with ACEI. As demonstrated by her actions, Callie is a compassionateindividual who achieves her goals. She is passionate about children,education, equality, and the well-being of people everywhere. Sheremarks, "I want to touch the lives of as many children as 1 can,and give them hope when they may not otherwise have it." We wishyou the best, Callie, and believe that you will be an outstandingteacher. Sheri Levin, ACEI Public Relations public relations,activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most Manager

Abuse and neglect of clients in agency-based and consumer-directed home care.

Abuse and neglect of clients in agency-based and consumer-directed home care. ********** Social workers in health care settings increasingly are concernedwith the long-term management of chronic illness and withcommunity-based care Community-based care for orphans describes care for orphaned children by those who are not the biological parents but are able to provide individual care and nurture in the context of a family and community. (Volland, 1996; Volland, Berkman, Stein, &Vaghy, 1999). As access to acute care settings becomes more constrained con��strain?tr.v. con��strained, con��strain��ing, con��strains1. To compel by physical, moral, or circumstantial force; oblige: felt constrained to object.See Synonyms at force.2. and hospital stays shorten, more sick and chronically impaired peoplerequire services at home (Proctor A person appointed to manage the affairs of another or to represent another in a judgment.In English Law, the name formerly given to practitioners in ecclesiastical and admiralty , Morrow-Howell, Li, & Dore, 2000).Home care ranges from home health services health servicesManaged care The benefits covered under a health contract provided by highly trainedprofessionals (including social workers) to supportive servicesdelivered by nonprofessionals with little or no training (Benjamin,1993; Egan & Kadushin, 1998). Amid the turmoil created by expansionin managed care and legislation designed to restrain growth in home carespending, new and perhaps less-costly models of supportive home carehave emerged that rely on recipients for many of the service decisionspreviously made by professional case managers and providers (Batavia,DeJong, & McKnew, 1991; Simon-Rusinowitz & Hofland, 1993). Theseconsumer-directed models of home care not only challenge traditionalagency-based models, but also raise concerns that in the absence ofmonitoring by agency professionals, recipients are more vulnerable toabuse and neglect by home care workers. The research reported hereaddresses these concerns by comparing client reports of abuse andneglect by workers in agency-based and consumer-directed home caremodels. Core social work values have always emphasized ideals ofself-determination and empowerment of clients (NASW NASW National Association of Science WritersNASW National Association of Social Workers (Washington, DC)NASW National Association of Social WorkersNASW National Association for Social Work (UK), 2000; Tower, 1994).As a result, interest in consumer-directed home care is growing amongsocial workers in long-term care (Bradley, 2000; Feinberg & Ellano,2000; Feinberg & Whitlatch, 1998; Freedman & Boyer, 2000; Geron,1998). Controversy arises as professionals weigh the risk to clientsfrom less traditional service delivery arrangements in the home setting.Many professionals think that consumer-directed home care poses risks ofabuse to the client, unlike agency-based home care that providesbetter-trained and supervised home care workers (Micco, Hamilton,Martin, & McEwan, 1995). The scenario becomes further complicatedwhen paid service providers are family members, who are hired becauseconsumer direction permits recipients to choose anyone as theirprovider. The study reported in this article examined variations in abuse andneglect of clients by workers associated with different home-basedservice models, taking into account relationships between clients andworkers. Abuse and neglect is operationalized to include workerbehaviors toward the client related to psychological risk (for example,yelling yell?v. yelled, yell��ing, yellsv.intr.To cry out loudly, as in pain, fright, surprise, or enthusiasm.v.tr.To utter or express with a loud cry. See Synonyms at shout.n. , threatening, or provider drug use), physical risk (bothintentional and unintentional harm), material abuse, unwanted sexualadvances, and neglect. This research has three purposes: (1) todetermine whether worker abuse and neglect of the client is associatedwith type of service model (agency or consumer-directed), (2) todetermine if the relationship between the recipient and provider (familyor not) is related to worker abuse and neglect, and (3) to identifyother characteristics of the client and service context associated withworker abuse and neglect. LITERATURE REVIEW Researchers who study abuse in vulnerable populations definemistreatment mis��treat?tr.v. mis��treat��ed, mis��treat��ing, mis��treatsTo treat roughly or wrongly. See Synonyms at abuse.mis��treat as physical abuse; psychological or verbal or emotionalabuse; material or financial abuse; sexual abuse; and active and passiveneglect (Kleinschmidt, 1997). Whereas there is a substantial body ofliterature on abuse of patients by nursing home staff (Harrington &Carrillo, 1999; National Center on Elder Abuse Elder AbuseDefinitionElder abuse is a general term used to describe harmful acts toward an elderly adult, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, financial exploitation, and neglect, including self-neglect. , 1997; Pillemer &Moore, 1989), relatively little research has been reported on abuse bypaid providers in the home. Mistreated elderly people are more likely tohave cognitive difficulties (Cooney & Howard, 1995; Decalmer &Glendenning, 1997; Kleinschmidt, 1997), be living with someone else, bein poor health, and have no one else to turn to for support (Nagatomo& Takigawa, 1998). Various contextual factors associated with caregiver abuse includecaregiver stress (Coyne, Reichman, & Berbig, 1995; Zarit, Reever,& Bach-Peterson, 1980), social isolation (Godkin, Wolf &Pillemer, 1989), living arrangement (Cooney & Howard, 1995), andfamily relationships (Jones, Holstege, & Holstege, 1997; Lachs &Pillemer, 1995; Mendonca, Velamoor, & Sauve, 1996). Much of the research addressing home care quality and theminimization of adverse outcomes has emphasized the importance ofprofessional standards associated with agency-based services (Applebaum& Phillips, 1990; Capitman, Abrahams, & Ritter rit��ter?n. pl. ritterA knight.[German, from Middle High German riter, from Middle Dutch ridder, from r , 1997; Kane,Kane, Ilston, & Eustis, 1994). It is widely assumed that the greaterthe training and supervision received by home care providers, and thusthe greater the inculcation in��cul��cate?tr.v. in��cul��cat��ed, in��cul��cat��ing, in��cul��cates1. To impress (something) upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repetition; instill: inculcating sound principles. of professional norms, the more likelyproviders are to ensure a safe environment for home care clients (DeJong& Wenker, 1979; Hutchins, Thornock, Lundgren, & Parks, 1978).Furthermore, the already difficult task of quality assessment in thehome becomes much more difficult when authority is shared with orshifted to the service recipient (Applebaum & Phillips, 1990; Kaneet al., 1994; Shaughnessy, Crisler, & Schlenker, 1998). Caregivingat home can be viewed as an opportunity for service providers tointervene in abuse; it can also be an opportunity for abuse to occur(Carp, 2000). Proponents of consumer-directed models argue that clientpreferences and choice can be maximized at no additional risk ofprovider abuse and neglect (Batavia et al., 1991; Simon-Rusinowitz &Hofland, 1993). To date, no empirical research Noun 1. empirical research - an empirical search for knowledgeinquiry, research, enquiry - a search for knowledge; "their pottery deserves more research than it has received" has been conducted toexamine these arguments. Using public funds See Fund, 3.See also: Public to hire family members as paid providers alsoraises concerns about cost and service quality (England, Linsk,Simon-Rusinowitz, & Keigher, 1989; Keigher, 1991; Linsk, Keigher,Simon-Rusinowitz, & England, 1992). Some argue that the benefits toclients in terms of availability, familiarity, and support probablyoutweigh the costs (Keigher & Murphy, 1992; Simon-Rusinowitz,Mahoney, & Benjamin, 1998). Thus far, research has not shown whetherpaying family members for care enhances the prospects for better qualityhome care, makes quality assessment more difficult, or makes littledifference. In the context of consumer-directed home care, too little isknown about the impact on client well-being of paying family members(Keigher & Murphy, 1992; Simon-Rusinowitz et al., 1998). METHOD In-Home Services Data for this study were gathered for clients of California'sIn-Home Supportive Services program, funded primarily under Medicaid.This program provides personal care, household, paramedical par��a��med��i��caladj.1. Of, relating to, or being a person trained to give emergency medical treatment or assist medical professionals.2. , protectivesupervision, and medical transportation services to about 190,000low-income recipients of all ages assessed as disabled and requiringsupportive services to remain at home. Authorized services are providedthrough two approaches to organizing and delivering home-based services.One is a traditional model featuring home care agencies that hire, trainand assign providers, and coordinate services to eligible clients.Twelve counties in California The U.S. state of California is divided into fifty-eight counties. Counties are responsible for all elections, property-tax collection, maintenance of public records such as deeds, and local-level courts within their borders, as well as providing law enforcement (through the county offer this model. The other is aconsumer-directed model that delegates to the client allresponsibilities for recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising theworker. The state makes direct payments to the worker for hourscertified See certification. by the client. All 58 California counties offer this model.Under a policy mirrored in only a few other states, California extendedreimbursement ReimbursementPayment made to someone for out-of-pocket expenses has incurred. to any family member selected by the client as a provider.Nearly half of these workers are relatives of the recipients. Socialwork roles in this consumer-directed model are limited to annual in-homeassessments. Although providing supportive services to new clients andintervening in emergencies are possible, heavy caseloads make theserelatively rare events. The research described here had three objectives: (1) to determinewhether worker abuse and neglect is related to service model (agency orconsumer-directed); (2) to determine whether worker abuse and neglect isrelated to family versus non-family service provider, and (3) toidentify client characteristics and other resources that may beassociated with clients' well-being. Sampling and Response Rates Recipients in the program less than six months, under age 18, orwith severe cognitive impairment Impairment1. A reduction in a company's stated capital.2. The total capital that is less than the par value of the company's capital stock.Notes:1. This is usually reduced because of poorly estimated losses or gains.2. were excluded, resulting in a samplingframe of 132,049, of which 93.8 percent were in a consumer-directedmodel (CDM 1. CDM - Content Data Model2. CDM - Code Division Multiplexing ), and the remainder were in a professional agency model(PAM). The sample was stratified stratified/strat��i��fied/ (strat��i-fid) formed or arranged in layers. strat��i��fiedadj.Arranged in the form of layers or strata. by service model (CDM or PAM), by age(over and under 65), and by a proxy for severity (approved service hoursover and under 20 hours per week). Most of the state's recipientswere over age 65 (76.7 percent for PAM and 60.7 percent for CDM) and notsevere (97.2 percent for PAM, 80.6 percent for CDM). Thus,stratification stratification(Lat.,=made in layers), layered structure formed by the deposition of sedimentary rocks. Changes between strata are interpreted as the result of fluctuations in the intensity and persistence of the depositional agent, e.g. was necessary to ensure adequate numbers within eachsubstrata, especially in the PAM, under age 65, and severity strata. TheCDM sample was drawn from all 58 counties; the PAM sample was drawn fromall 12 counties offering that model. The response rates were 73.5percent (PAM) and 83.4 percent (CDM). We interviewed the In-Home Supportive Services recipients betweenOctober 1996 and March 1997. Interviews were conducted in English,Spanish, and three Asian languages (Cantonese, Mandarin Mandarin(măn`dərĭn)[Port. mandar=to govern, or from Malay mantri=counselor of state], a high official of imperial China. For each of the nine grades there was a different colored button worn on the dress cap. , andVietnamese). The resulting random sample of 1,095 consisted of 511 inCDM (with 240 family and 271 nonfamily providers) and 584 in PAM. About48 percent were under age 65, 73.5 percent were female, and 31.2 percenthad severe disabilities. Compared with the statewide In-Home SupportiveServices population, the sample had more white clients (54.2 percentversus 47.5 percent), fewer Latino clients (13.7 percent versus 21.4percent), and slightly fewer African American African AmericanMulticulture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.See Race. clients (16.8 percentversus 19.8 percent). Measurement The telephone interview instrument included items on recipientdemographics, functional status (Katz & Akpom, 1976; Lawton, 1971),mental and emotional status (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992), In-HomeSupportive Service use, informal and community supports (Kemper, 1988),and various client outcomes. Established measures were used whereappropriate; in some instances they were adapted to the study populationor objectives. Individual items are discussed in more detail in theAnalysis section, where the multiple regression independent variablesare described, and in the Results section, where the items are analyzedindividually by service model. Regarding the dependent variables, questions on worker abuse andneglect were: "In the past 12 months, how often (1) has anyprovider neglected you, like ignoring you when you needed help? (2) wereyou injured in��jure?tr.v. in��jured, in��jur��ing, in��jures1. To cause physical harm to; hurt.2. To cause damage to; impair.3. when a provider was trying to assist you? (3) did yourprovider yell at you? (4) did your provider threaten you? (5) did yourprovider push, shove, or hurt you physically? (6) have you had reason tobelieve that your provider was responsible for money or other itemsdisappearing from your home? (7) did your provider come to work underthe influence of alcohol or drugs? (8) has a provider ever made unwantedsexual advances?" (9) "In general, how well do you and yourprovider get along?" and (10) "Overall, how safe do you feelwith your provider and with the assistance your provider givesyou?" Analysis For the bivariate bi��var��i��ate?adj.Mathematics Having two variables: bivariate binomial distribution.Adj. 1. comparisons, we used chi-square analyses forcategorical data categorical datadata relating to category such as qualitative data, e.g. dog, cat, female. It may be nominal when a name is used, e.g. location, breed, or ordinal when a range of categories is used, e.g. calf, yearling, cow. and t tests for continuous (for example, age) data. Themultivariate analyses required two stages. First, we used factoranalysis to consolidate many outcome variables into a smaller number ofmore manageable and cohesive constructs that maximize the explainedvariance Explained variance is part of the variance of any residual that can be attributed to a specific condition (cause). The other part of variance is unexplained variance. The higher the explained variance relative to the total variance, the stronger the statistical measure used. in a correlation matrix Noun 1. correlation matrix - a matrix giving the correlations between all pairs of data setsstatistics - a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population . The final rotated factor solution forworker abuse and neglect generated two factors representing relativelyindependent outcome dimensions. The first factor, based on eight items(questions 1-8), was labeled "physical and psychological risk"and accounted for 26.9 percent of the common variance (Cronbach'salpha Cronbach's (alpha) has an important use as a measure of the reliability of a psychometric instrument. It was first named as alpha by Cronbach (1951), as he had intended to continue with further instruments. = .71). The second factor, labeled "sense of security,"contained two items: how safe the client feels with the provider and howwell the client gets along with the provider. This factor accounted for9.9 percent of the common variance (Cronbach's alpha = .69). Foreach respondent, the individual item scores were summed to obtainoutcome scores for physical and psychological risk (range = 8 to 30) andfor sense of security (range = 2 to 10). For each of these factor-basedoutcome scores (hereafter In the future.The term hereafter is always used to indicate a future time—to the exclusion of both the past and present—in legal documents, statutes, and other similar papers. referred to as outcome dimensions), lowerscores indicated more abuse or neglect. Next we used multiple regressionto determine which variables influenced these two outcome dimensions.Multiple regression enabled us to analyze the contribution of each ofseveral variables to variation in each outcome dimension, whilecontrolling for, or holding constant, the effects of the other variablesin the equation. Service model variables were whether clients received servicesunder CDM or PAM and whether the provider was a family member. We used acontrast coding scheme for these two variables. This allowed us tochange the excluded category to examine any two-way comparison ofinterest (Cohen cohenor kohen(Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. & Cohen, 1983; Marascuilo & Serlin, 1988).Demographic variables were age, gender, ethnicity, education,employment, marital status marital status,n the legal standing of a person in regard to his or her marriage state. , and a proxy for income (share-of-cost). Casemix variables described the client's physical and cognitivecondition and need for assistance. The activities of daily living (ADL)score is a sum of positive responses to whether the client received helpwith feeding, bathing, transferring, toileting, moving around indoors,and dressing. The instrumental activities of daffy living (IADL IADLInstrumental activities of daily living, see there ) score,similarly, sums positive responses to needing help with mealpreparation, shopping, driving, housekeeping, and taking medications.The paramedical help scale is a sum of responses about needing help withinsulin, breathing, bedsores BedsoresDefinitionBedsores are also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers, or pressure sores. These tender or inflamed patches develop when skin covering a weight-bearing part of the body is squeezed between bone and another body part, or a bed, , bladder care, bowel care, and feedingtube feeding tuben.A flexible tube that is inserted through the pharynx and into the esophagus and stomach and through which liquid food is passed. . The memory, orientation, and judgement item is the sum of scoreson three assessment items, so that 3 indicates no impairment on any, and6 indicates mild impairment on all three (higher levels of impairmentwere excluded from the survey sample). Other resources were variablesdescribing available formal and informal resources that are not solely afunction of type of service model. Generally, variables were selectedfor inclusion if they had conceptual significance in terms ofvulnerability to abuse and neglect, or if they were significantlyrelated to these outcomes in the univariate analysis. Included variableshad low multicollinearity. All multivariate analyses incorporatedsampling weights and accounted for design effects using the Statastatistical software package (Kish, 1967; StataCorp, 1997). Limitations As with any study of this scope, several limitations may have somebearing on our findings. First, for obvious reasons we were not able tointerview the entire range of clients in the In-Home Supportive Servicesprogram, including those with the most severe physical and cognitiveimpairments and thus the most vulnerable and at-risk in terms ofpotential abuse. Critics may contend that clients most vulnerable toabuse would be either unable or unlikely to respond to this survey; anddespite our diligent dil��i��gent?adj.Marked by persevering, painstaking effort. See Synonyms at busy.[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin d efforts, it was difficult to recruit an equalnumber of clients with severe disabilities because of the low number ofpeople with severe disabilities using agency services. More than half(51.9 percent) of the CDM sample had severe disabilities, but despitethe stratification efforts, only 13.2 percent of those in the PAM samplehad severe disabilities. Second, we had to rely primarily on telephone interviews ratherthan more direct observation, although we tried to stress in both theintroductory letter to respondents and the interviewer telephoneintroduction that responses were completely confidential and that noanswers would be linked in any way to individuals or to programbenefits. Older people especially may be reluctant to reportmistreatment for fear of losing their autonomy (that is, placement in anursing home) or of betraying their families (Kleinschmidt, 1997). Third, we suspect that some of the client interviews took placewith the provider nearby. The telephone interview with closed-endedquestions was designed to give respondents relative freedom inanswering, but they might still have felt inhibited by the presence ofthe person who was the subject of some of the questions. Last, hutcertainly not least, we acknowledge that this is a study of one programin one state, thus the extrapolation (mathematics, algorithm) extrapolation - A mathematical procedure which estimates values of a function for certain desired inputs given values for known inputs.If the desired input is outside the range of the known values this is called extrapolation, if it is inside then of findings and implications tofederal and state policies should be cautious and judicious ju��di��cious?adj.Having or exhibiting sound judgment; prudent.[From French judicieux, from Latin i . On theother hand California is a large and extremely diverse state, and theIn-Home Supportive Services program includes a sizable siz��a��blealso size��a��ble ?adj.Of considerable size; fairly large.siza��ble��ness n. client populationreceiving services through well-established but varied servicearrangements. RESULTS Client Characteristics Almost half of each cohort was over age 65; about three-fourthswere female (see Table 1). The PAM cohort consisted mostly of whiteindividuals, whereas the CDM sample was more ethnically and raciallydiverse. More PAM clients lived alone. Even with sample stratificationby severity, the CDM respondents needed more ADL, IADL, and paramedicalhelp than the PAM respondents. PAM clients had more in-home providers inthe past year, whereas CDM clients had fewer home providers and thusless worker turnover. Very few PAM clients knew their worker before theservice relationship, and three times as many PAM than CDM clientsreported a language problem. CDM permits recipients to hire anyone as a provider; in thissample, nearly half (47 percent) hired relatives. More clients withfamily providers were over age 65, female, members of ethnic and racialminority groups, and less likely to live alone than clients withnonfamily providers (Table 1). The case mix variables indicated thatclients with family providers were somewhat more physically impaired,although these differences were small. Similar to PAM clients, CDMclients with nonfamily providers had more providers in the past yearthan clients with family providers and thus less stability and moreturnover. They were less confident of backup and were much less likelyto have known their provider previously. Outcomes for Consumer-Directed versus Agency Model The first research question asked whether the service model wasrelated to the dimensions of worker abuse and neglect. Statisticallysignificant differences between the two models emerged for threebehaviors: neglect, yelling, and material abuse (Table 2). The vastmajority in both models reported that they seldom or never experiencedneglect, but about twice as many PAM clients reported neglect (sometimesoften or very often) than did CDM clients (17.8 percent versus 9.2percent). With 6.1 percent of PAM clients and 7.8 percent of CDM clientsindicating their provider had yelled at them in the past year, yellingby providers was only slightly more common in the CDM. With respect tomaterial abuse, PAM clients were slightly more likely than CDM clientsto report theft problems (5.3 percent versus 4.2 percent), but theabsolute differences between models were small. Model differences were not significant for one outcome dimension,physical and psychological risk, but for the other dimension, sense ofsecurity, CDM clients did report a stronger sense of security than PAMclients (p < .01) (Table 3). When we included variables related toclient demographics, case mix, and service resources (Table 4), we foundthat service model was not a significant predictor for either of theoutcome dimensions. What do these findings suggest in answering ourfirst research question? First, when individual provider behaviors wereconsidered, there were some differences between the two service modelson provider abuse and neglect, but when client and servicecharacteristics were taken into account, service model was not apredictor of either reported physical and psychological risk or sense ofsecurity. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke"put differently consumer-directed providers were no more likelyto be abusive or neglectful ne��glect��ful?adj.Characterized by neglect; heedless: neglectful of their responsibilities.See Synonyms at negligent.ne��glect than agency workers. Outcomes for Family versus Nonfamily Providers The second research question addressed outcome differences betweenfamily and nonfamily providers. Overall, CDM clients receiving servicesfrom paid family members generally reported less abuse and neglect thanclients with nonfamily providers (Table 2). For six individual behavioritems, clients with family providers fared better than those withnonfamily providers for being neglected, being injured when receivingassistance, being pushed or shoved, losing money or other items, gettingalong with the provider, and feeling safe with the provider. In general,family and nonfamily provider comparisons yielded more statisticallysignificant differences than PAM and CDM comparisons. Regardingdifferences on the two outcome dimensions (Table 3), clients with familyproviders fared significantly better for both physical and psychologicalrisk (p < .001) and sense of security (p < .001). When various client and service characteristics were included usingmultiple regression, family relationship was related to client sense ofsecurity (p < .05) but not to reported physical and psychologicalrisk (Table 4). Introducing client characteristics and other variablesreduced the effect that provider relationship had on physical andpsychological risk. However, clients with family providers had astronger sense of security than clients with nonfamily providers, andthis was the case even after controlling for client variations indemographics, case mix, and service resources. Outcomes for Other Variables To address the third research question, we considered othervariables, client demographics, case mix, and service resources (Table4) that are expected to be relevant to client risk of worker abuse andneglect. For physical and psychological risk, ethnicity was the onlydemographic predictor that was statistically significant: Asian clientsreported less risk than white clients (p < .05). Clients needing lesshelp with paramedical tasks, those having fewer providers in the pastyear, and those more confident of backup help from family and friendsindicated less risk. This portrait is complex and suggests that clientsreporting little or no abusive provider behavior had less complex needs,less paramedical dependence, a stable provider relationship, andconfidence about backup help from family and friends. Regarding sense of security, clients who felt more secure withtheir providers tended to be white rather than Hispanic and Asian, livealone, and need less paramedical help. In addition, clients who believedthey had too few hours, who were more confident of backup help, whopreviously knew the provider, and who had no language problem with theirproviders also felt more secure. Again, the scenario is complex. Clientswho were less dependent and had fewer barriers to compatibility withtheir worker reported a greater sense of security. Those living alonereported greater security, which may seem surprising but is consistentwith other research that finds those living alone to be more resourceful re��source��ful?adj.Able to act effectively or imaginatively, especially in difficult situations.re��sourceful��ly adv. and independent than others (Tennstedt & McKinlay, 1989). Clientswho protested inadequate program hours may also be more independent andoutspoken in demanding adequate care. Differences based on race andethnicity were more difficult to explain, but throughout this researchit had become apparent that these are important variables inunderstanding the out comes of in-home services and merit much moreanalytical attention (Doty, Benjamin, Matthias, & Franke, 1999). DISCUSSION The results of this analysis suggest that comparing the experiencesof recipients of home care services under different service models is auseful approach to understanding abuse and neglect, and especially inhome settings, which are not easily monitored by health careprofessionals. Even in the absence of clear causal patterns and preciseexplanations, these data indicated that service model alone accounts forvery little variation in client abuse and neglect and that clients inthe consumer-directed model have experiences very similar to those ofagency clients. Finding no difference between the models is moreimportant than it may seem at first glance. People doubtful aboutconsumer-directed models of home care have argued that professionalmonitoring is essential to client well-being. Our findings suggest thatthere may be other conditions or mechanisms associated withconsumer-directed arrangements that help minimize abuse and neglect andyield outcomes similar to those of agency-based care. California's version of the consumer-directed model isrelatively austere aus��tere?adj. aus��ter��er, aus��ter��est1. Severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and grave: the austere figure of a Puritan minister.2. . Despite the fact that minimal assistance is providedto clients having difficulties with service arrangements (for example,in hiring or retaining a worker), the level of reported abuse andneglect is no greater than in the agency option. How can this be? Thesedata suggest that the reasons may be found less in the formal servicearrangements themselves than in the types of relationships that existbetween clients and workers and in the informal support networkavailable to clients under consumer direction. Such findings may be oflittle surprise to social workers in health care, who understand thatstable relationships with providers and stable family backup help areessential to the well-being of people with disabilities living at home.Stability was achieved in the consumer-directed model because in thisCalifornia program, most clients hired either family members (about 40percent) or friends (about one-fourth) as paid home care workers. Inthis model, clients also hired workers who were less likely to seekother work (lower turnover), and who were compatible in language andother more intangible ways. Compatibility and continuity seem harder toachieve in an agency model, because most agencies must balance otherconsiderations (for example, scheduling and workload efficiencies) withclient and worker preferences. Most research on home care quality has focused on options availablein an agency context for maximizing client well-being. Because there isno other published research that compares consumer-directed and agencyhome care, our findings tend to challenge the assumption that positiveoutcomes (in this case, minimal abuse and neglect) can only be achievedwith traditional agency and professional arrangements. In many ways,this is an unexpected finding. Although recent scholarship has explorednew models of social work practice that incorporate self-determinationand independent living themes (Mackelprang & Salsgiver, 1996; Quinn,1995; Tower, 1994), until now there has been little empirical evidencethat consumer-directed models yield positive outcomes for clients. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This study was commissioned because of growing federal andfoundation interest in models of consumer-directed services and theirapplication to supportive, long-term services for elderly and disabledpeople (Bradley, 2000; Dory, 2000). Advocates have argued that recipientautonomy can be enhanced and the costs of services can be moderated ifprofessional roles in supportive home care are limited. Critics haveargued that the price to recipients in increased risk and uncertainquality is too high to justify consumer direction. Not surprisingly,social work continues to find itself on both sides of this debate.Social work is committed to empowering clients receiving care at home,thus the profession enthusiastically embraces the concepts ofself-determination and independent living. However, because socialworkers also endorse risk reduction and quality assurance, they arecompelled to raise serious concerns about the feasibility ofself-directed (that is, nonprofessional non��pro��fes��sion��al?n.One who is not a professional.nonpro��fes ) approaches to home care.Although concern about abuse and neglect by unsupervised home careworkers is legitimate, our findings suggest that the issue may beoverstated o��ver��state?tr.v. o��ver��stat��ed, o��ver��stat��ing, o��ver��statesTo state in exaggerated terms. See Synonyms at exaggerate.o . This study suggests that in one Medicaid program in one state,consumer-directed home care services involved no greater risk torecipients than agency home care services. It is important to repeatthat the agency-based model in this study is relatively lean andlow-cost and has little or no social work involvement. This simplysupports the argument that agency-based services are no panacea and mayinvolve their own risks. In our research agency clients complained abouthigh worker turnover, language problems, and scheduling and taskperformance shortcomings. The central issue for social work is the concern that any increasein consumer choice and autonomy comes at the price of greater clientrisk and threats of abuse by workers and others. A second issue no doubtinvolves a perceived tradeoff between increased client autonomy andincreased risk to employment for professional case managers. Givensocial work's commitment to empowerment, it seems reasonable tosuggest that the profession should make the analysis and study ofconsumer-directed models a much higher priority. A number of establishedstate programs,Medicaid waiver programs, and demonstrations now deliver servicesthrough various consumer-choice arrangements. Social work needs tobecome more involved in research on these programs, to evaluate programimplications for current social work roles and employment, and toparticipate in redefining professional roles in light of a more thoroughunderstanding of client empowerment as currently implemented. The recentwave of publications in social work journals in this area isencouraging. It indicates the profession's determination to workwith disability and aging issues, its commitment to consumer choice, andits willingness to create new approaches to care of people with chroniccare needs.Table 1. Client Characteristics, by Service Model and Type ofClient-Directed Model Provider CDM CDM Family Nonfamily PAM CDM Providers ProvidersDemographic (n = 584) (n = 511) (n = 240) (n = 271)Characteristic % % % %Age (65 and over) 50.0 53.6 58.8 49.1Gender (female) 77.1 69.9 73.8 66.5Ethnicity White 69.8 38.3 30.0 45.9 Latino 8.9 19.5 24.2 15.0 Black 11.7 23.1 24.2 22.2 Asian/Pacific 1.6 11.6 15.8 7.9 Islander Other 8.0 7.5 5.8 9.0Education (high school 64.0 50.6 42.5 57.0 or more)Live alone 69.9 42.7 30.8 53.3 M M M MCase Mix (SD) (SD) (SD) (SD)Activities of daily 0.97 2.41 2.61 2.23 living (ADL)(0-6, 0 = intact) (1.43) (2.00) (2.00) (1.98)Instrumental ADL 2.97 3.93 4.08 3.80(0-5, 0 = intact) (1.24) (.96) (.93) (.98)Paramedical help 0.28 0.83 .83 .82 scale (a) (.68) (1.05) (1.02) (1.08)Memory, orientation, 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 judgment(3-6, 3 = intact) (.79) (.81) (.86) (.77)Other Resources % % % %No. of providers in 1.72 1.47 1.25 1.66 past year [M (SD)] (.83) (.72) (.56) (.80)Enough In-Home 10.5 22.7 25.2 20.7 Supportive Services hours (much too low)Need help finding 45.7 7.8 6.7 8.9 provider? (yes)Confident of backup? 52.8 68.8 78.4 60.4 (very, somewhat)Advice (with someone to 62.1 71.1 72.1 69.0 turn to)Knew provider before? 6.3 73.3 100.0 49.4 (yes)Language problem? (yes) 10.5 3.5 3.3 3.7NOTE: PAM = professional agency model. CDM = consumer-directed model.Needs help with 0-6 items: insulin, breathing, bedsores, bladder,bowel, feeding tube.Table 2. Worker Abuse and Neglect, by Service Model andType of Provider Both Models PAM CDMHow often, in the past (n=584) (n=511)12 months (a) ... (%) (%) p value... did provider neglect you? 17.8 9.2 .000 ***... did provider yell at you? 6.1 7.8 .039 *... did provider threaten you? 3.3 3.0 .988... were you injured when provider was assisting you? 6.4 5.0 .619... did provider push, shove or hurt you physically? 1.9 1.9 .268 (b)... did you think provider responsible for money or other items disappearing? 5.3 4.2 .030 *... did provider come to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol? 1.7 2.0 .464 (b)Provider made unwanted sexual advances? (yes) 1.9 2.4 .581Get along with provider? (somewhat, not very, or not at all well) 11.4 9.3 .092Feel safe with provider's assistance? (somewhat, not very, or not at all) 11.8 8.3 .068 CDM Model Only Family Nonfamily Providers ProvidersHow often, in the past (n=240) (n=271)12 months (a) ... (%) (%) p value... did provider neglect you? 5.5 12.7 .000 ***... did provider yell at you? 5.6 9.6 .138... did provider threaten you? 2.1 3.6 .081 (b)... were you injured when provider was assisting you? 4.3 5.7 .042 *... did provider push, shove or hurt you physically? 0.0 1.8 .001 (b) **... did you think provider responsible for money or other items disappearing? 0.8 7.2 .000 (a) ***... did provider come to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol? 0.8 3.0 .105 (b)Provider made unwanted sexual advances? (yes) 1.3 3.4 .124Get along with provider? (somewhat, not very, or not at all well) 3.7 14.2 .000 ***Feel safe with provider's assistance? (somewhat, not very, or not at all) 4.6 11.5 .028 *NOTES: PAM = professional agency model. CDM = consumer-directed model;df = 4, unless otherwise specified.(a) responding very often, often, or sometimes.(b) df = 1.* p < .05. ** p < .0l. *** p < .001.Table 3. Mean Scores for the Two Summary Outcome Measures, by ServiceModel and Type of Provider Both Models PAM CDM (n=584) (n=511) M MOutcome (SD) (SD) p valuePhysical and psychological risk 28.9 29.1(range = 8-30) (2.39) (2.23) .141Sense of security (range = 2-10) 9.0 9.2 (1.39) (1.24) .005 ** CDM Model Only Family Nonfamily Providers Providers (n=240) (n=271) M MOutcome (SD) (SD) p valuePhysical and psychological risk 29.5 28.8(range = 8-30) (1.35) (2.72) .000 ***Sense of security (range = 2-10) 9.4 9.0 (0.96) (1.39) .000 ***NOTE: PAM = professional agency model. CDM = consumer-directed model.** p <.01. *** p <.001.Table 4. Coefficients Predicting Worker Abuse and Neglect UsingWeighted Multiple Regressions Physical and Psychological Sense ofPredictor Variable Risk SecurityService model PAM (vs. CDM) (PAM = 1, CDM = 0) -.13 -.01 CDM family provider (1) vs CDM nonfamily provider (0) .25 .37 *Demographics Age (1 = > 65) -.03 -.17 Gender (1 = female) .02 .02 Ethnicity Hispanic (1) vs. white (0) -.05 -.38 * Black (1) vs. white (0) -.19 .04 Asian (1) vs. white (0) -.56 * -.82 ** Other (1) vs. white (0) -.28 .07Live alone (1 = yes) .13 .37 **Case mix ADLs (high = more impairment) .00 .05 IADLs (high = more impairment) .02 .02 Paramedical help (0-6) -.34 ** -.18 * Memory, orientation, judgment (high = worse) -.07 -.16Other resources Are hours enough to meet needs? (1 = yes; no = 0) -.06 -.16 * Number providers past year (1, 2, 3+) -.53 *** -.04 Need help finding a provider? (1 = yes; no = 0) -.18 -.33 Confident of backup (1 = not at all to 5 = very) -.13 * -.12 ** Advice--someone to turn to (1 = yes; no = 0) -.27 -.16 Knew provider before? (1 = yes; no = 0) .04 .37 * Language problem? (1 = yes; no = 0) -.76 -.68 * Constant 31.01 *** 10.21 *** [R.sup.2] .174 .259NOTE: Higher scores indicate more positive outcomes. For simplicity ofpresentation, some variables have been omitted from Table 4 althoughthey were included in the regression. Omitted variables, none of whichwere significant predictors, include education, employment status,income, or whether the client pays a share of cost, marital status,whether the client lives in a PAM county, and whether the client everreplaced a provider.* p<.05. ** p < .01. *** p<.001. REFERENCES Applebaum, R., & Phillips, P. (1990). 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(2000).Adequacy of home care and hospital readmission for elderly congestiveheart failure congestive heart failure,inability of the heart to expel sufficient blood to keep pace with the metabolic demands of the body. In the healthy individual the heart can tolerate large increases of workload for a considerable length of time. patients. Health & Social Work, 25, 87-96. Quinn, P. (1995). Social work and disability management policy:Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Social Work in Health Care, 20, 67-82. Shaughnessy, P. W., Crisler, K. S., & Schlenker, R. E. (1998).Outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: The OASISindicators. Quality Management in Health Care, 7, 58-67. Simon-Rusinowitz, L., & Hofland, B. F. (1993). Adopting adisability approach to home care services for older adults.Gerontologist, 33, 167-169. Simon-Rusinowitz, L., Mahoney, K. J., & Benjamin, A. E. (1998).Payments to families that provide care: An option that should beavailable. Generations, 22, 69-75. StataCorp. (1997). Stata statistical software: Release 5.0. CollegeStation, TX: Stata Corporation. Tennstedt, S. L., & McKinlay, J. B. (1998). Informal care forfrail older persons. In M. G. Ory & K. Bond (Eds.), Aging and healthcare: Social science and policy perspective (pp. 145-166). New York:Routledge. Tower, K. (1994). Consumer-centered social work practice: Restoringclient self-determination. Social Work, 39, 191-196. Volland, P. J. (1996). Social work practice in health care: Lookingto the future with a different lens. Social Work in Health Care, 24,35-51. Volland, P. J., Berkman, B., Stein, G., & Vaghy, A. (1999).Social work education for practice in health care. New York: New YorkAcademy of Medicine The New York Academy of Medicine was founded in 1847 by a group of leading New York City metropolitan area physicians as a voice for the medical profession in medical practice and public health reform. . Ware, J. E., Jr., & Sherbourne, C. D. (1992). The MOS (1) (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) See MOSFET.(2) (Mean Opinion Score) The quality of a digitized voice line. It is a subjective measurement that is derived entirely by people listening to the calls and scoring the results from 36-itemshort form health survey (SF-36). Medical Care, 30, 473-483. Zarit, S., Reever, K. E., & Bach-Peterson, J. (1980). Relativesof the impaired elderly: Correlates of feelings of burden.Gerontologist, 20, 649-655. Original manuscript received August 15, 2000 Final revisionreceived May 17, 2001 Accepted July 18, 2001 ABOUT THE AUTHORS Ruth E. Matthias, PhD, is senior research associate, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los AngelesUCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University)UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX School ofPublic Policy and Social Research, 3250 Public Policy Building, LosAngeles Los Angeles(lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , CA 90095-1656; e-mail: matthias@ucla.edu. A. E. Benjamin, PhD, is professor, UCLA School of Public Policy andSocial Research.

Meet MTNA President: Benjamin D. Caton.

Meet MTNA President: Benjamin D. Caton. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How does it feel to be the new president of MTNA? It is with respect and reverence that approach the office of MTNApresident, both for the office itself and for the many individuals whohave served our association so very well. I am in awe. I have largeshoes to fill and excellent role models and sources for insight into theoffice that I, yet, do not have. I am honored, humbled and grateful tohave been entrusted with this position, and I promise my very besteffort, to work hard and to make MTNA proud. In 1976, the Tennessee Music Teachers Association (TNMTA) met in myhometown for a conference. As a part of the program I taught a lesson inthe Kodaly philosophy of music to a third grade class from our campusLab School. At the banquet I was seated beside Nadine Dresskell, MTNApresident from Arizona, and she made a very good impression on me forMTNA. Over the years I met Dolores Zupan, Richard Morris, James Norden,Margaret Lorince and Joan Reist, all of whom served as nationalrepresentatives to the Tennessee Conference. When I served on the MTNABoard as a Division president and later as secretary/treasurer, I workedwith Ruth Edwards, Rex Whiddon, Joan Reist, Wayne Gibson, PhyllisPieffer, Paul Stewart and Gall Berenson. These past two years I haveworked with Gall and Ann Gipson. I have learned about and gained insightinto MTNA having known and worked with each of them. Yet, I assume thepresidency with butterflies in my stomach and a desire to give my bestto MTNA and the music teachers and students all across this country. What inspired you to strive for the position of MTNA president? I remember being a little surprised when I was first asked tobecome president of my local association. Then came an opportunity tobecome secretary of TNMTA, then Collegiate Competition chair, then TNMTApresident. Shortly after that I became MTNA Southern Division CollegiateCompetitions chair, then secretary/treasurer, then president-elect andpresident. As an immediate past president of the Southern Division, Iserved a biennium on the Board of Directors during a time when ourpresent governing documents were being written. I served two years asthe national secretary/treasurer. I was a candidate for president-electa year after that service, but I was not elected. I was fortunate to beasked again to become a candidate for president-elect. In each positionI served, from local to national, I met so many wonderful people whowere involved in music and the teaching of music. I actually had apositive experience in every capacity I served, and I expect to have anenjoyable time while being president. While we most likely willencounter difficult issues, hopefully we will have divergent thinkingfrom our board, and after a thorough discussion of the issues, we willmake a decision. One's position, restricted by past experiences,will not always be the position that is taken by the board. Each memberof the board has a slightly different perspective that other members maynot have considered. We can disagree and still have a pleasant time. AsGary Ingle recently said, "It is better to debate an issue withoutsettling it than to settle an issue without debating it." As I reflect back on my life, it just seemed doors along the wayopened at the right time. I am very fortunate and grateful. The manywonderful MTNA teachers who give so much of themselves to their teachingand to the advancement of the profession are a continuing source ofinspiration. What would you like to see MTNA accomplish during your presidency? I would like for several things to happen. I would like for allMTNA members to become certified--not only for professional developmentbut as a statement to the public at large regarding the importance ofselecting fine teachers for musical instruction. I played doctor as achild with a little medicine bag and a toy stethoscope. My father was myfavorite patient. He could develop incredible symptoms, and my diagnosisand cure made him immediately well. Today, I could not practice medicinemerely because I played doctor as a child. There are individuals whoplayed a musical instrument in childhood who can teach music lessonsregardless of whether or not they are prepared or qualified. Our publicwould be well served to know the importance of proper training. Whilethere are many wonderfully well-qualified MTNA members who are notcertified and who see no reason to become certified, we could present aunited front to our public about the importance of being certified if weall were certified. It is a statement to the profession and to thepublic. I would like to see the FOUNDATION flourish with numerousFOUNDATION Fellows, increase members of the Legacy Society, and increasethe number and size of our endowments. I would like for all musicteachers to seek MTNA membership--from those who teach two or threestudents to those who earn a living as full-time music teachers. I wouldlike for all citizens to value the importance of music in our societyand demand its placement in the core of our educational system.Ambitious, one might say, but if one does not reach for something, howdoes one know what can be grasped. The baby in the play pen isconstantly reaching for things both inside the pen (box) and outside thepen (box). MTNA should continue its involvement and promotion of wellness. Thesession at the Milwaukee Conference was fascinating with the combinationof the medical profession, technology and musical performers. Whilehealing is extremely important, the future will undoubtedly place moreand more emphasis on prevention. It is an exciting time. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Finally I would like to see our chamber music competition expanddown into the senior division. How did you first become involved with MTNA? As an undergraduate, TNMTA Conference came to campus. I met AlisonNelson and Harry Neal, and I remember many things they said, including,"You are your most important competition." I graduated, taughtthree years in the public schools, completed a master's degree, andassumed a position at the university where I had been an undergraduate.Shortly after that time, a local association was formed, and one of mycolleagues invited me to attend a meeting. I attended, I joined, and therest is history. Someone asked me to attend a meeting. During this year,I hope that each MTNA member will ask someone to attend a meeting."Each One Reach One." What has kept you involved with MTNA throughout your career? My desire to grow and become a better person, a better musician,and a better and more effective teacher demands my continued membership.There is so much that I do not know. I am inspired by the performancesat our conferences by the winners of our student competitions and ourguest artists and the excellent sessions. My first MTNA conference wasin Atlanta in 1977. I was excited to attend and excited to return to trythe new ideas I had learned. One particular session, given by DavidBurge, dealt with contemporary music. Although I thought it would not bea good session, it was a wonderful session. It opened my mind tocontemporary music. What is your favorite thing about teaching? The joy received in helping students learn. It is exciting to bearound young people. They teach you so much. The teaching/learningenvironment is stimulating and one of which I will never tire. I cannotimagine life without young people. You receive so much in teaching. Themore you give, the more you receive. An eager student provides addedmotivation and excitement for a teacher. It is a two-way street. It isvery gratifying. Young people keep you young. What led you to teaching piano and piano pedagogy? Growing up I remember wanting to be either a preacher or a teacher.You know, preachers teach and teachers preach. At one point I thought Iwanted to be an algebra teacher, but I hated those stupidproblem-solving questions about two bees traveling at different speeds,beginning at different times. I thought about being an English teacheras I loved grammar, but my teachers always thought my interpretations ofthe poems were unusual. I began piano study in the first grade andtrombone in the seventh grade. I loved music, so it seemed like anatural. My father was a chemistry major in college, yet l detestedchemistry. He never encouraged me to go into chemistry--in fact heencouraged me to be a teacher and to major in music. I liked playingpiano better than trombone, and I was better at piano, so I was akeyboard music education major as an undergraduate. After graduation Itaught elementary vocal music and maintained a studio of piano studentsin the afternoons. In graduate school, I took many piano pedagogyclasses. Everything just fell into place. Teaching is a high calling. And what could be better than teachingthis wonderful thing that we call music? Our Creator has endowed us withthe gift to create, perform, and enjoy music and to be inspired. It isan incredible opportunity to be able to share music with everyone. It isa very rewarding career. After having accomplished so much during your career, what are someof your professional goals for the future? I need to read more, not only books about music, composers,artists, but general non-fiction works. To continue to practice andlearn more repertoire. To continue to learn, grow and expand myhorizons. To live life to its fullest and to enjoy the ride. What would you like your MTNA legacy to be? Well, that is for present and future MTNA members to determine. Ihope they think I worked hard, did my best, and was a good person wholed by example and was inspiring. That l made the world a better placeby passing through. What is the best professional advice you have received? My father taught me to do my best, to be honest, and to be myself.If you do that, you can look yourself in the mirror every morning andlike what you see. When you have done your best, you have nothing ofwhich to be ashamed. He taught me to take things in the stride and to dothe right thing, no matter what others might say or want you to do. My mother taught herself to play piano while I was learning piano.She was able to play hymns in church. She instructed me to always take abig, deep breath before I began to play and to always jump ahead if Iencountered any difficulty. My high school Latin teacher always told us the three mostimportant things for a successful life were your relationship with yourCreator, your spouse and your profession. What are some of your interests outside of the music profession? I love to do yard work, to grow flowers outside and houseplantsinside. I love to travel. I also like racquetball and photography. Ialso like to cook since I do not have to cook three meals a day, sevendays a week. I cook when and if I want to, so that's why I likecooking. Finally, I must say I love college football and basketball as wellas professional football. After all, what would you expect a graduate ofThe Ohio State University to say?

Meeting of the minds: the 2010 EdNext-PEPG survey shows that, on many reform issues, Democrats and Republicans hardly disagree.

Meeting of the minds: the 2010 EdNext-PEPG survey shows that, on many reform issues, Democrats and Republicans hardly disagree. Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., are more polarized A one-way direction of a signal or the molecules within a material pointing in one direction. today than they have been in nearly a century. And among the generalpublic, party identification remains the single most powerful predictorof people's opinions about a wide range of policy issues. Giventhis environment, reaching consensus on almost any issue of consequencewould appear difficult. And when it comes to education policy, whichdoes a particularly good job of stirring people's passions,opportunities for advancing meaningful policy reform would appearentirely fleeting. Against this backdrop, the results of the 2010 EducationNext--Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG PEPG Program on Education Policy and Governance (Harvard University)PEPG Primitive Equation Persian Gulf ) Survey areencouraging. With the exceptions of school spending and teacher tenure,the divisions between ordinary Democrats and Republicans on educationpolicy matters are quite minor. To be sure, disagreements amongAmericans continue to linger lin��ger?v. lin��gered, lin��ger��ing, lin��gersv.intr.1. To be slow in leaving, especially out of reluctance; tarry. See Synonyms at stay1.2. . Indeed, with the exception of student andschool accountability measures, Americans as a whole do not standsteadfastly behind any single reform proposal. Yet the most salientdivisions appear to be within, not between, the political parties. Andwe find growing support for several strategies put forward in recentyears by leaders of both political parties--most notably, onlineeducation and merit pay Noun 1. merit pay - extra pay awarded to an employee on the basis of merit (especially to school teachers)pay, remuneration, salary, wage, earnings - something that remunerates; "wages were paid by check"; "he wasted his pay on drink"; "they saved a quarter of all . Nearly 2,800 respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. participated in the 2010 EducationNext--PEPG Survey, which was administered in May and June of 2010 (seesidebar, page 31, for survey methodology). In addition to a nationallyrepresentative sample of American adults, the survey includedrepresentative samples of two populations of special interest: 1) publicschool teachers and 2) adults living in neighborhoods in which one ormore charter schools are located. With a large number of respondents, wewere able, in many cases, to pose differently worded questions to two ormore randomly chosen groups. In so doing, we were able to evaluate theextent to which expressed opinions change when a person is informed ofcertain facts, told about the president's position on an issue, orsimply asked about a topic in a different way. Grading the Nation's Schools Americans today give the public schools as a whole poor marks. Whenasked to grade the nation's schools on the same A to F scaletraditionally used to evaluate students, only 18 percent of surveyrespondents give them an "A" or a "B." This equalsthe percentage that awarded one of the top two grades in 2009, which hadbeen the lowest level observed across the three years of our survey.More than one-quarter of respondents, meanwhile, continue to give thenation's schools a "D" or an "F." Thesesentiments are shared widely. Fewer than one-quarter of AfricanAmericans and Hispanics give the nation's schools an "A"or "B," as do just 18 percent of parents of school-agedchildren. Most telling, perhaps, only 28 percent of teachers give thenation's schools an "A" or a "B," while 55percent give them a "C" and 17 percent a "D" or"F." However, as in the past, the public's assessment of the localschools is far higher. No less than 65 percent of those surveyed arewilling to give the school they identified as their local elementaryschool elementary school:see school. one of the two highest grades, and 55 percent are willing to giveone of those grades to their local middle school. Only 6 percent assigntheir local elementary school a "D" or and "F,"while 12 percent assign those low grades to their local middle school. School Spending and Teacher Salaries Though evaluations of schools remain low, the public appears aswilling as ever to support more spending on schools--until, that is, itbecomes clear that their own community would foot the bill. In 2010,amid mounting national, state, and local deficits, 63 percent of thepublic favor an increase in "government funding for public schoolsin your district," about the same level as in early 2008, justbefore the economic recession. Public support for additional spending is more fragile than itappears, however. When asked whether "local taxes to fund publicschools in your district should increase, decrease, or stay thesame," only 29 percent of the public favor an increase (see Figurela). Such strong resistance to local taxation suggests that anyincreases in school spending are likely to come, if at all, from higherlevels of government. [FIGURE 1a OMITTED] Whether or not the public supports higher teacher salaries alsodepends on how the question is worded. When the survey asked whetherteacher salaries should be increased, 59 percent of respondents favorthe idea in 2010 (see Figure lb), well below the 69 percent supportobserved in 2008. Support for increased teacher salaries falls sharplywhen respondents are first told the average annual salary of teachers intheir state. Supplied with that information, only 42 percent favor asalary increase. [FIGURE 1b OMITTED] It should come as no surprise that teachers are more supportive ofadditional school spending. Seventy-two percent favor more spending ifno mention is made of taxes, and 45 percent continue to favor spendingmore even if that means a local tax increase. Teachers are also far morelikely to think that their salaries should increase. In 2010,75 percentsupport the idea, regardless of whether they are informed of averagestate salary levels. Support for Reform The public's willingness to consider alternatives totraditional public schools and traditional public-school practices hasexpanded in many, though not all, directions. The public remainsfriendly to school choice, but the kinds of choices it prefers arechanging. Meanwhile, support for policies that base compensation onteacher performance has risen, but backing for other proposals tointroduce standard business practices into the education sector hasstayed about the same. The public's long-standing support forschool and student accountability measures remains high, though it isexpressed in slightly more qualified terms than in the past. School Choice When it comes to school choice, charter schools and onlineeducation are "in," while private school vouchers school vouchers,government grants aimed at improving education for the children of low-income families by providing school tuition that can be used at public or private schools. are"out." The charter option is especially popular amongminorities and parents in neighborhoo ds where charter schools arealready present. Charters. Charter schools have emerged as the mostwidely discussed alternative to traditional public schools. Initiated in1991 by a Minnesota law allowing private nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive.Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. entities to receivepublic funding Public funding is money given from tax revenue or other governmental sources to an individual, organization, or entity. See alsoPublic funding of sports venues Research funding Funding body to operate schools if authorized by a state agency, theidea has spread to more than 40 states, and some 1.5 million studentstoday attend charter schools. Charters have been praised for opening theschoolhouse door to entrepreneurial, energetic teachers and leaders aswell as for raising student achievement in high-need regions. But thepractice of chartering has also been criticized for allowing low-qualityschools to remain in operation and for siphoning resources away fromdistrict schools. To see whether the presence of a charter school within aneighborhood is correlated cor��re��late?v. cor��re��lat��ed, cor��re��lat��ing, cor��re��latesv.tr.1. To put or bring into causal, complementary, parallel, or reciprocal relation.2. with public opinion--either favorable fa��vor��a��ble?adj.1. Advantageous; helpful: favorable winds.2. Encouraging; propitious: a favorable diagnosis.3. orunfavorable--we surveyed a representative sample of residents living inzip codes in which at least one charter school is located. The presenceof charter schools in the community has not gone unnoticed. Forty-eightpercent of all adults--and 50 percent of parents of school-agedchildren-- living in a neighborhood with at least one charter schoolwere aware of that fact. After describing a charter school in neutral language, the surveyasked respondents if they favor or oppose "the formation of charterschools." The survey also gave respondents the option of stayingneutral by saying they neither favor nor oppose the policy. Thoseholding the neutral position declined from 44 percent to 36 percentbetween 2009 and 2010, likely reflecting the heightened attention tocharter schools in national debates over education reform (see Figure2). Among African Americans and Hispanics, indications that opinion hasbegun to solidify so��lid��i��fy?v. so��lid��i��fied, so��lid��i��fy��ing, so��lid��i��fiesv.tr.1. To make solid, compact, or hard.2. To make strong or united.v.intr. were even stronger: The portion of African Americansholding the neutral position crashed from 48 percent to 23 percentbetween 2008 and 2010. For Hispanics, the drop was from 46 percent to 33percent. Similarly, only 27 percent of the parents who live in charterneighborhoods take the neutral position.Overall Charter Support Holds Steady (Figure 2)Increasingly popular among minorities, but less popular among teachers. Support Neutral OpposeNational 2008 42 41 16 2009 39 44 17 2010 44 36 19African-American 2008 42 48 10 2009 49 42 9 2010 64 23 14Hispanic 2008 37 46 17 2009 40 52 7 2010 47 33 21Teachers 2008 47 20 33 2009 37 32 31 2010 39 25 36Parents * 2010 51 34 15Charter schools 2010 48 32 21Parents in charter school 2010 57 27 16neighborhood *Note: Table made from bar graph.* Those living in a charter school neighborhood and parents living in acharter school neighborhood were not separate categories of respondentsprior to 2010.Note: Exact questions available at educationnext.org.SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2008, 2009, 2010 Support for charter schools has remained reasonably steady over thelast several years. Between 2008 and 2009, the portion of the publicsaying they favor charters fell from 42 percent to 39 percent, but thattrend reversed in the past year, putting charter support at 44 percentin 2010. Opposition to charters now stands at 19 percent, givingsupporters a better than two-to-one advantage over opponents. Within minority communities, however, support for charters appearsto be rising. Among African Americans the portion who support chartersgrew from 42 percent to 49 percent between 2008 and 2009 and leapt leapt?v.A past tense and a past participle of leap. to 64percent in 2010, with only 14 percent expressing opposition. AmongHispanics, levels of support grew from 37 to 47 percent across the threeannual surveys. In communities where at least one charter school is located,overall levels of support are only somewhat higher: 48 percent of thepublic favor the formation of charters, while 20 percent are opposed.But fully 57 percent of the parents in communities with charter schoolsfavor them, compared to 51 percent of parents nationwide (a group thatincludes some parents living in communities with a charter schoolpresence). Both proponents and critics have noted that charter schools areover-represented in communities with high concentrations of minorities,yet this fact alone does not explain the higher levels of support inareas with a charter school. Among residents of communities with acharter school, 63 percent of white parents express support for theidea, as compared with 50 percent of white parents nationally. Thesenumbers may be encouraging, then, for those who hope that the gradualspread of charters will strengthen support for this reform strategy.However, our data do not tell us whether the charter presence is causingopinion to change or whether charters took root in these areas becauseof underlying public support for charter schools. What we can say withconfidence is that the presence of charters--and the intense localdebates it often generates--has not been sufficient to undermine popularsupport for this policy option. Bucking all of these trends, teacher opposition to charters hasintensified in��ten��si��fy?v. in��ten��si��fied, in��ten��si��fy��ing, in��ten��si��fiesv.tr.1. To make intense or more intense: . Support for charters among public school teachers fell from47 percent to 39 percent between 2008 and 2010, while opposition grewslightly from 33 percent to 36 percent. Once leaning toward charters,teacher opinion is now almost evenly divided between support andopposition. Although overall public support for charters shows signs ofsolidifying so��lid��i��fy?v. so��lid��i��fied, so��lid��i��fy��ing, so��lid��i��fiesv.tr.1. To make solid, compact, or hard.2. To make strong or united.v.intr. , key facts about charters remain unknown. Only 18 percent ofthe public know that charters cannot hold religious services, 19 percentthat they cannot charge tuition, 15 percent that students must beadmitted by lottery (if the school is oversubscribed Refers to connecting more users to a system than can be fully supported if all of them were using it at the same time. Networks and servers are almost always designed with some amount of oversubscription, counting on the fact that everybody does not need the service simultaneously. ), and just 12percent that, typically, charters receive less government funding perpupil than traditional public schools. In each instance, the remainingportions either answer the question incorrectly or, more often, confess confessv. in criminal law, to voluntarily state that one is guilty of a criminal offense. This admission may be made to a law enforcement officer or in court either prior to or upon arrest, or after the person is charged with a specific crime. that they simply don't know. In several respects, parents in communities with a charter presenceare only marginally more knowledgeable than the public at large.However, 30 percent of parents are aware that charters cannot chargetuition, and 28 percent realize charters must use lotteries ifoversubscribed. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke"put differently , parents with a charter nearby appearbetter informed about the mechanics of enrolling a child but no moreinformed than the broader public about other regulations on charterpractices. Virtual education. Online learning is rapidly penetrating penetratingbreaching the tissues of the body. thehigher education system, and, according to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. some estimates, more than 1million high school and middle school students are also taking coursesonline. As these changes take place, online learning is growing moreacceptable to the public at large. In 2009, 42 percent of the publicsaid they thought high school students should receive credit forstate-approved courses taken over the Internet. Within one year, thatnumber jumped to 52 percent. Opposition meanwhile fell from 29 percentto 23 percent. One-quarter of the public express indifference IndifferenceAntoinette, Marie(1755–1793) queen of France to whom is attributed this statement on the solution to bread famine: “Let them eat cake.” [Fr. Hist. (seeFigure 3).Learning to Like the Internet (Figure 3)A majority of the public think high school students should get creditfor online courses.Should students get credit for online courses? Favor Neutral OpposeHigh school courses 2009 42 29 2010 52 25 23Middle school courses 2009 35 30 34 2010 43 29 28Note: Table made from bar graph.Note: Exact questions available at educationnext.org.SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2009, 2010 Support for online coursework courseworkNounwork done by a student and assessed as part of an educational courseNoun 1. coursework - work assigned to and done by a student during a course of study; usually it is evaluated as part of the student's by middle schoolers, though not asgreat as for high schoolers, also increased from 35 percent to 43percent between 2009 and 2010. Still, the practice of online learningremains nascent nascent/nas��cent/ (nas��ent) (na��sent)1. being born; just coming into existence.2. just liberated from a chemical combination, and hence more reactive because uncombined. . Less than one-tenth of those interviewed said theypersonally know any high school or middle school student who has taken acourse online. School vouchers. Compared to charter schools and online learning,private school vouchers have long been a more controversial feature ofthe school politics landscape. In recent years, voucher A receipt or release which provides evidence of payment or other discharge of a debt, often for purposes of reimbursement, or attests to the accuracy of the accounts. supporters havesuffered political defeat at least as often as they have enjoyedsuccess. A recent federal study of the much-watched voucher program inWashington, D.C., for example, showed that using a voucher boosted astudent's chances of graduating from high school. That positivedevelopment for voucher supporters, however, was offset by congressionalaction, supported by President Barack Obama, that shut down the program. So even as support for charters and online learning has grown, thepopularity of vouchers has slipped. When in 2007 we asked the publicabout a program that would "use government funds to help pay thetuition of low-income students ... to attend private schools," 45percent favored the idea, but that number has steadily fallen in thethree subsequent years. In 2010, only 31 percent express approval.Meanwhile, opposition has grown from 34 percent to 43 percent (seeFigure 4).Voucher Vicissitudes (Figure 4)Public support for school vouchers is sliding downhill. Favor Neutral OpposeNational 2007 45 20 34 2008 40 20 40 2009 35 24 42 2010 31 27 43African American 2007 68 17 15 2008 65 20 14 2009 57 24 19 2010 51 27 23Hispanic 2007 61 17 23 2008 63 21 16 2009 52 17 31 2010 47 23 30Teachers 2008 33 12 55 2009 30 13 58 2010 26 20 54Parents * 2010 36 27 37Charter school neighborhood 2010 40 25 36Parents in charter school neighborhood * 2010 46 25 29Note: Table made from bar graph.* Teachers were not a separate category of respondents prior to 2008;those living in a charter school neighborhood and parents living in acharter school neighborhood were not separate categories of respondentsprior to 2010.Note: Exact question available at educationnext.org.SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Support for vouchers is greater within the African American African AmericanMulticulture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.See Race. andHispanic communities, but declines are evident there as well.Sixty-eight percent of African Americans and 61 percent of Hispanicssupported vouchers in 2007, but only 51 percent and 47 percent of thetwo groups, respectively, take a similar position in 2010. Interestingly, support for vouchers is higher in communities wherecharter schools are located. Forty-six percent of the parents in theseneighborhoods support vouchers, as do 40 percent of all residents.Again, however, our data do not tell us whether the charter presence hascaused opinion to change or whether charters have simply located inareas that are more hospitable hos��pi��ta��ble?adj.1. Disposed to treat guests with warmth and generosity.2. Indicative of cordiality toward guests: a hospitable act.3. to school choice. Tax credits. A number of states--Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania,and Rhode Island Rhode Island, island, United StatesRhode Island,island, 15 mi (24 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, S R.I., at the entrance to Narragansett Bay. It is the largest island in the state, with steep cliffs and excellent beaches. , for example--provide tax credits for low-incomefamilies who send their children to private schools or to those who giveto charities established for such purposes. Support for tax credits ismuch higher than for vouchers, especially if the question makes clearthat credits may be used for school expenses at both public and privateschools. Still, support for this policy has also lost ground in the pastthree years. In 2008, 64 percent of the public favored tax credits,whereas only 55 percent do so in 2010. Opposition has grown from 15percent to 20 percent (see Figure 5).Credit-Worthy (Figure 5)Tax credits for public and private schools remain popular.Tax Credits for Public and Private Education Expenses Favor Neutral OpposeNational 2007 53 23 25 2008 54 19 28 2009 60 24 15 2010 55 25 20African American 2007 67 21 12 2008 63 18 19 2009 69 21 9 2010 71 20 9Hispanic 2007 60 24 15 2008 54 16 29 2009 64 21 15 2010 65 27 9Teachers 2008 46 12 41 2009 57 18 25 2010 51 20 29Parents * 2010 67 21 12Charter school neighborhood 2010 59 23 18Parents in charter school neighborhood * 2010 66 19 15* Teachers were not a separate category of respondents prior to 2008;those living in a charter school neighborhood and parents living in acharter school neighborhood were not separate categories of respondentsprior to 2010.Note: Exact question available at educatlonnext.org.SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010Note: Table made from bar graph. The idea remains extremely popular among African Americans,however, with levels of support hovering hov��er?intr.v. hov��ered, hov��er��ing, hov��ers1. To remain floating, suspended, or fluttering in the air: gulls hovering over the waves.2. around 70 percent during thelast three years. Among Hispanics, support fell from 75 percent to 65percent between 2008 and 2010. Tax credits for donors to scholarship programs that help low-incomestudents attend private schools garner twice as much support asopposition. Half the public support the idea, while only 22 percentoppose it. Support for this form of school choice is again greater inneighborhoods where charters are located, both among parents and thegeneral public. And in contrast to other policies that would expandaccess to private schools, support for this idea increased modestly inthe past year. Teacher Policy and Teachers Unions Public discussions of the best way to recruit, evaluate, andcompensate teachers have proliferated of late, largely due to researchdemonstrating the importance of teacher quality for student achievement.But with one exception, public opinion on these issues has remainedrelatively stable. Merit pay. That exception, paying teachers according to theirclassroom performance, received support from the Obama administrationwhen it invited states to include this innovation in their proposals toobtain federal funds Federal FundsFunds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements.Notes:These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve from its signature education reform initiative,Race to the Top. To assess public support for this policy, commonly known as meritpay, the survey asked respondents in 2009 whether they favored"basing a teacher's salary, in part, on students'academic progress on state tests." Only 27 percent opposed theidea, while 43 percent welcomed it. In 2010, support increased to 49percent (see Figure 6), although one-quarter of the population continueto oppose the idea.No Exceptions for Teachers (Figure 6)The public supports merit pay and opposes practices that guaranteeteachers tenure. Favor Neutral OpposeTeacher tenure 2009 25 30 45 2010 25 29 47Merit pay 2007 44 25 32 2008 44 28 28 2009 43 30 27 2010 49 25 26Note: Exact questions available at educationnext.org.SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010Note: Table made from bar graph. Teacher tenure. In February 2010, the superintendent of schools inCentral Falls, Rhode Island Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 18,928 at the 2000 census. It is among the most densely populated cities in the United States. Central Falls takes its name from a waterfall on the nearby Blackstone River. , announced the dismissal of all teachers ather district's high school on the grounds that the school waspersistently underperforming. To the surprise of many, her actionsreceived presidential approval. "If a school continues to fail itsstudents year after year, if it doesn't show signs of improvement,then there's got to be a sense of accountability," PresidentObama announced. "And that's what happened in RhodeIsland." Eventually, the board and local teachers union reached acompromise, and media attention shifted to other topics. Obama's comments reflected the balance of opinion in thepublic at large. Opponents of the practice of offering tenure to publicschool teachers outnumber out��num��ber?tr.v. out��num��bered, out��num��ber��ing, out��num��bersTo exceed the number of; be more numerous than.outnumberVerbto exceed in number: its supporters in 2010 by a margin of nearlytwo to one. Forty-seven percent of the public oppose teacher tenure,while only 25 percent are in favor (see Figure 6). Not surprisingly, thedistribution of teacher opinion is almost exactly the opposite. Theevents in Rhode Island apparently were too isolated to alter nationalopinion on tenure policy, as responses remain essentially the same in2010 as they had been one year earlier. Teachers unions. Nor did public opinion concerning teachers unionschange significantly, despite rising union opposition to many of theObama administration's education reform initiatives. Those whothink unions have a "negative effect" on their local schoolsticked upward from 31 percent to 33 percent between 2009 and 2010, whilethose who think unions have a "positive effect" remainedunchanged at 28 percent. In both years, a plurality The opinion of an appellate court in which more justices join than in any concurring opinion.The excess of votes cast for one candidate over those votes cast for any other candidate.Appellate panels are made up of three or more justices. of roughly 40percent took no position on the question. Student and School Accountability Few ideas are more popular than holding students accountable fortheir performance. In 2007, 85 percent of those interviewed said theythought students should be required to "pass an examination"in order to graduate from high school, as they are required to do"in some states." In 2010, 76 percent of the public continueto express such sentiments. In both years, opposition hovered around 10percent of the total. Support is high even among teachers, of whom 63percent think students should be required to pass an exam to receivetheir degree. Hardly less popular is the more stringent rule that students mustpass a test before moving on to the next grade, as is currently requiredfor 3rd graders in both Florida and New York City New York City:see New York, city. New York CityCity (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . Eighty-one percentsupported that idea in 2007 and nearly the same percentage--79percent--favor it in 2010. Again, in both years, opposition amounted tono more than 9 percent of the total. Teachers are nearly as likely tofavor the idea, perhaps because it would help to ensure that theirstudents are prepared for the material they are asked to impart. It is surprising that an idea that is so popular does not find itsway into the national political agenda. To be sure, there are some signsthat the public's appetite for student accountability measures mayhave waned somewhat. Overall levels of support have declined of late,and the percentage of Americans who profess pro��fess?v. pro��fessed, pro��fess��ing, pro��fess��esv.tr.1. To affirm openly; declare or claim: "a physics major to "stronglysupport" either of the proposals discussed above has dropped byeven larger margins. More likely, though, elite politics are responsiblefor the exclusion of this policy reform from public debate. Teachersunions, which are core constituents of the Democratic Party, opposethese measures. And the Republican Party, with its historical supportfor local control, has thus far proved unwilling to step into the fray fray?1?n.1. A scuffle; a brawl. See Synonyms at brawl.2. A heated dispute or contest.tr.v. frayed, fray��ing, frays Archaic1. To alarm; frighten.2. . The nationwide practice of releasing to the public the average testscores for every school is slightly less popular than holding studentsaccountable. The survey posed the question, "Do you support oroppose making available to the general public the average test scores ofstudents at each public school?" In 2007,60 percent voiced support,and 57 percent favor the practice in 2010. Opposition stood at 20percent in both years. But only 45 percent of the teachers favor makingthis information available to the public. Clearly, school transparency (1) The quality of being able to see through a material. The terms transparency and translucency are often used synonymously; however, transparent would technically mean "seeing through clear glass," while translucent would mean "seeing through frosted glass." See alpha blending. is more popular with the public than with those who work inside theschools (see Figure 7).The Wonderful World of Accountability (Figure 7)Everyone (except, at times, teachers) wants tough testing standards andschool accountability.Percentage favoringReleasing test scoresNational 2007 60National 2010 57Teachers 2010 65Maintain federal testing requirementsNational 2010 62Teachers 2010 50Tougher standardsNational 2010 58Teachers 2010 33Note: Table made from bar graph.* Teachers were not a separate category of respondents prior to 2008.Note: Exact questions available at educationnext.org.SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2007, 2010 Given the general level of support for student and schoolaccountability, it is to be expected that the public supports thoseprovisions of No Child Left Behind that require regular testing ingrades 3 through 8 and once more in high school. When the survey askedwhether respondents favor maintaining current federal testingrequirements, 62 percent of the public say yes, though only 50 percentof teachers agree (see Figure 7). If the respondent In Equity practice, the party who answers a bill or other proceeding in equity. The party against whom an appeal or motion, an application for a court order, is instituted and who is required to answer in order to protect his or her interests. is informed thatPresident Obama proposed that these provisions be continued, supportincreases slightly to 66 percent of those surveyed (see Figure 8). Ifthe president's endorsement seems to have only slight generaleffect, it helps solidify support among a key constituency, as supportamong teachers moves decisively upward to 59 percent. [FIGURE 8 OMITTED] To further explore Obama's capacity to shape public opinion,the survey asked half the respondents whether they favor"toughening" state standards used to evaluate studentperformance. Even with no mention of the president's views, theidea appears to be popular, as 58 percent say they support the idea andonly 15 percent oppose it. The support level is still higher among thehalf of the sample informed of Obama's support for the proposal.Among this group, 65 percent support more rigorous standards. Bipartisan Agenda? A clear plurality, even a majority, of the American public supporta wide range of policy innovations ranging from charter schools and taxcredits to tougher standards, accountability measures, and merit pay forteachers. But pluralities and bare majorities are often not enough toalter public policy in a country where power is divided between twohighly competitive and increasingly polarized political parties. IfRepublicans and Democrats disagree strongly on the options for schoolreform, changes are unlikely--despite clear signs that the public isconcerned about the quality of public education. To examine the extent to which self-identified Democrats andRepublicans differ on education issues, we calculated the differencebetween the average position on key issues held by Democraticrespondents and the position held by Republican respondents. On eachissue, individual responses were placed on a 1-5 scale, ranging from"strongly oppose" (1) to "strongly support" (5).Figure 9 shows the extent to which Democrats, on average, differ fromRepublicans on a given issue. The longer the bar, the more polarized theparty supporters. If the bar falls to the left side of zero, Democratssupport the policy more than Republicans; if the bar falls to the right,Republicans support the policy more than Democrats. [FIGURE 9 OMITTED] Overall, there appears to be far less polarization polarizationProperty of certain types of electromagnetic radiation in which the direction and magnitude of the vibrating electric field are related in a specified way. between theparties than might be expected. On questions concerning their overallassessment of the nation's schools, student and schoolaccountability, and even the creation of charter schools, the distancebetween the parties amounted to less than 0.2 points on the 5-pointscale. In the case of accountability measures, the combination of strongoverall support and minimal partisan Partisan may refer to: Political mattersIn politics, partisan literally means organized into political parties. The expression "Partisan politics" usually refers to fervent, sometimes militant support of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea. conflict suggests that suchpolicies will continue to be central to the nation's educationreform agenda. In the case of charter schools, for which overall supportis more mixed, it appears that the important divisions in public opinionare within rather than between the nation's major politicalparties. The divergence divergenceIn mathematics, a differential operator applied to a three-dimensional vector-valued function. The result is a function that describes a rate of change. The divergence of a vector v is given by between the parties is slightly larger on schoolvouchers and tax credits for education expenses, at 0.22 and 0.25,respectively. But in contrast to the patterns observed among electedofficials, ordinary Democrats are somewhat more supportive thanRepublicans of these policies, in part due to the strong support forprivate school choice within the heavily Democratic minority community.Thirty-five percent of Democrats express support for vouchers, comparedto 30 percent of Republicans. And Democrats are more likely thanRepublicans to support tax credits by a 60 percent to 53 percent margin. The key exceptions to the general story of cross-party agreementinvolve school spending, teacher tenure, and the influence of teachersunions. Democrats are more supportive than Republicans of increasingteacher salaries and especially overall school spending, for which thedifference in average positions is larger than 0.5 on the 5-point scale.Fully 70 percent of Democrats support increased spending if no mentionis made of taxes, compared to only 40 percent of Republicans. Thedifferences on teacher tenure policy are even larger, as 62 percent ofRepublicans but only 34 percent of Democrats altogether oppose thepractice. Most strikingly, Democrats have a far more sanguine sanguine/san��guine/ (sang��gwin)1. plethoric.2. ardent or hopeful.san��guineadj.1. Of a healthy, reddish color; ruddy.2. view ofthe influence of teachers unions on their community's schools: 39percent consider them to have a positive effect, while only 19 percentsee their effect as negative. Among Republicans, only 17 percent believethat teachers unions have a positive effect, and 50 percent believe theyhave a negative effect. President as Opinion Maker Our data do not allow us to identify all the factors that arereshaping public opinion. But inasmuch as in��as��much as?conj.1. Because of the fact that; since.2. To the extent that; insofar as.inasmuch asconj1. since; because2. the president of the UnitedStates United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. has the largest "bully pulpit bully pulpitn.An advantageous position, as for making one's views known or rallying support: "The presidency had been transformed from a bully pulpit on Pennsylvania Avenue to a stage the size of the world"" and is in the bestposition to set the public agenda, it is reasonable to suppose that theObama administration has contributed to some of the changes in opinionreported above. At the same time, the president's persuasiveness per��sua��sive?adj.Tending or having the power to persuade: a persuasive argument.per��sua is likely todepend on his popularity with the general public. To investigate thispossibility, we asked parallel sets of questions in March 2009, whenPresident Obama was at the peak of his popularity, and in May 2010, whenhis approval ratings had fallen below 50 percent. On both occasions,one-half of respondents were asked their opinion on several issues onlyafter being told the president's position, while the other randomlychosen half were asked the question outright. In early 2009, exposure to the president's views had theeffect of shifting public opinion in the direction of thepresident's by 13 percentage points on merit pay and 11 percentagepoints on charters and vouchers (see Figure 8). Sizable siz��a��blealso size��a��ble ?adj.Of considerable size; fairly large.siza��ble��ness n. increases wereobserved for both Democrats and Republicans. But one year later,Obama's influence foundered. In the summer of 2010, public supportfor merit pay actually decreased by 1 percentage point when respondentswere told that the president favored the idea. Among Democrats, knowingthe president's position increased support by 8 percentage points,enough to bring the share in favor of upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of.See also: favor merit pay to 53 percent. AmongRepublicans, however, being told of the president's positionreduced support for merit pay by 12 percentage points, from 55 to 43percent. Public opinion on maintaining federal testing requirementsshifted in the president's direction by only 4 percentage pointswhen respondents were told of his position, with support falling by 1percentage point among Republicans and increasing by 6 percentage pointsamong Democrats. Finally, when respondents were told that the presidentopposed vouchers, public support fell by only 5 percentage points--lessthan half the decline observed on the same issue in 2009 (see Figure 8). These experimental data suggest that by 2010 President Obamawielded few of the persuasive powers he brandished during the honeymoonmonths of his presidency. It is possible, though, that his influence in2009 was put to good use. Between 2009 and 2010, public opinion on meritpay, charter schools, and vouchers all shifted closer to thepresident's position. The public became 6 percentage points moresupportive of merit pay, 5 percentage points more supportive of charterschools, and 4 points less favorable to vouchers. Of course, these datado not establish that presidential appeals are responsible for thesechanges in public opinion. The president, after all, is hardly the onlyopinion maker in society. But if opinion reflects the cross-currents ofconversations taking place in a society, then the holder of thenation's highest office may be able to alter opinion on the issuesof the day, at least at those moments when presidential popularity ishigh. Conclusions Democrats and Republicans are at each other's throats in thenation's capital. On cable news and talk radio, the Left rantsabout the Right, and vice versa VICE VERSA. On the contrary; on opposite sides. . More than any time in recent memory,American politics is defined by hectoring, sniping, and bullying BullyingChowne, Parson Stoyleterrorizes parish; kidnaps children. [Br. Lit.: The Maid of Sker, Walsh Modern, 94–95]Claypole, Noahbully; becomes thief in Fagin’s gang. [Br. Lit. . Forthose fond of democratic deliberation deliberationn. the act of considering, discussing, and, hopefully, reaching a conclusion, such as a jury's discussions, voting and decision-making. DELIBERATION, contracts, crimes. and consensus building, these areunhappy times. The results of the 2010 Education Next-PEPG Survey, however,suggest that the public does not necessarily subscribe to Verb 1. subscribe to - receive or obtain regularly; "We take the Times every day"subscribe, takebuy, purchase - obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction; "The family purchased a new car"; "The conglomerate acquired a new company"; all thepositions taken by the most vocal elements in our society. Indeed, ourresults suggest the possibility of advancing meaningful policy reform.The American public shows growing support for online learning and meritpay for teachers and continued support for accountability, standards,testing, and charter schools--education innovations that have beenendorsed by leaders in both major parties. No less important is the factthat opinion on many key education issues does not polarize po��lar��ize?v. po��lar��ized, po��lar��iz��ing, po��lar��iz��esv.tr.1. To induce polarization in; impart polarity to.2. To cause to concentrate about two conflicting or contrasting positions. the publicalong partisan lines. Moreover, we find suggestive sug��ges��tive?adj.1. a. Tending to suggest; evocative: artifacts suggestive of an ancient society.b. evidence that whilethe current president's persuasive powers may have waned, theyappear to have had an impact. Clearly, we mustn't get carried away. With the exception ofstudent accountability measures, no single policy reform garners thesupport of huge swaths of the American public. But taken as a whole, theresults from this year's Education Next-PEPG survey are cause forsome optimism among school reformers. With appropriate leadership, abipartisan majority may yet rally in support of a significant schoolreform package. William G. Howell is professor of American politics at theUniversity of Chicago. Paul E. Peterson Paul E. Peterson is a leading scholar on education reform.[1] His work has largely focused on the importance of parental choice for improving school outcomes. He is Editor-In-Chief of Education Next is professor of government atHarvard University Harvard University,mainly at Cambridge, Mass., including Harvard College, the oldest American college.Harvard CollegeHarvard College, originally for men, was founded in 1636 with a grant from the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. . Martin R. West is assistant professor of educationat the Harvard Graduate School of Education The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is a graduate school at Harvard University, and is one of the top schools of education in the United States.It offers six doctoral concentrations and thirteen masters programs. . RELATED ARTICLE: Survey Methods The 2010 Education Next-PEPG Survey of Public Opinion was conductedby the polling firm Knowledge Networks (KN) between May 11 and June 8,2010. KN maintains a nationally representative panel of adults, obtainedvia list-assisted random digit-dialing sampling techniques, who agree toparticipate in a limited number of online surveys. Detailed informationabout the maintenance of the KN panel, the protocols used to administersurveys, and the comparability of online and telephone surveys isavailable online at www.knowledgenetworks.com/quality/. The main findings from the Education Next-PEPG survey reported inthis essay are based on a nationally representative stratified sample Noun 1. stratified sample - the population is divided into strata and a random sample is taken from each stratumproportional sample, representative sample of1,184 adults (age 18 years and older) and oversamples of 684 publicschool teachers and 908 residents of zip codes in which a charter schoolwas located during the 2009-10 school year. The total sample of 2,776adults consists of 2,038 non-Hispanic whites, 280 non-Hispanic blacks,263 Hispanics, and 195 individuals identifying with another or multipleracial or ethnic groups. In general, survey responses based on larger numbers ofobservations are more precise, that is, less prone to sampling variancethan those made across groups with fewer numbers of observations. As aconsequence, answers attributed to the national population are moreprecisely estimated than are those attributed to subgroups. With 2,776total respondents, the margin of error for responses given by the fullsample in the Education Next-PEPG survey is 1.86 percentage points forquestions on which opinion is evenly split. On many items, we conducted survey experiments to examine theeffect of variations in the way questions are posed. The figures andonline tables present separately the results for the differentexperimental conditions. Percentages reported in the figures and online tables do not alwaysadd precisely to 100 as a result of rounding to the nearest percentagepoint.